Dolphin



Dec. 22, 1931. H. OBERSCHULTE DOLPHIN Filed Dec. 18, 1930 Patented Dec.22, 1931 UNITED STATES HERMANN OBERSCHULTE, OF BiUHR, GERMANY K DoLrHINApplication led December 18, 1930, Serial No. 503,292, and in GermanyOctober 29, 1929.

My invention relates to dolphins or mooring piles composed of verticallyrammed metal sections, such as channel or Z-section sheet-pilingmembers.

In accordance with my invention each two "or more separate sections areassembled to form separate boxes or pipes or equivalent by means oflocking joints, welding, bolts, rivets, bands or other connecting means.

A. feature of my invention resides in assembling sev-eral such boxes orequivalent to a complete unit by the same connecting means.

Now, in order to absorb the impact of the ship, the dolphin must possessconsiderable powers of resistance and also a high d-egree of elasticity.To obtain both properties, the several sheet-piling members must, asregards the portion which is rammed into the ground, be as rigid aspossibl-e, whereas the upper portion, which is not rammed into theground, must possess, in itself, a certain mobility. I attain thisobject by applying the aforesaid connecting means to only the lower orembedded portion which has to stand the heaviest bending stresses.

Embodiments of my invention are illustrated by way of example on theaccompanying drawings whereonzy Fig. l is an elevation of one of mydolphins on the side on which the ship is moored;

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section through the dolphin;

Fig. 3 is a cross section;

Fig. 4 is a partial section corresponding to Fig. 2 and showing themooring member on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section along the line V-V of Fig. 2 withparts omitted;

Fig. 6 is a plan of another embodiment; and

Fig. 7 is a section, on a larger scale, of a detail of the arrangementaccor-ding to Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the channelsection sheet-piling members c aredisposed 13 in pairs, with their open sides facing, so as to form boxes,and they are firmly secured together, at the lower ends, by lockingmembers b, b. The locking members b, b are provided only at the ends ofthe piling which will be embed-ded in the ground, and termi- `nate onthe piling at a point substantially at the ground level.

Several (for example three) of such box piles are rammed injuxtaposition, each succeeding pile engaging with the flanges of thechannels in the locking member b of the preceding pile. Another row ofboxpiles is then rammed, these being composed in the same manner, and sothat their flat sides a come into-contact, or nearly so, with thecorresponding sides a of the row iirst rammed. The pile members in thissecond row are united in the manner already described, and a third rowcan then be rammed, and so on. y The number of the box piles and thenumber of rows will depend on the size and shape of the desired dolphin.In order to ensure firmer.` combination, screw bolts e, holding thesuccessive rows together, can be inserted through they surfaces a abovebut close to the ground level.

. The locking members b, b can also besecured to the members a bywelding, and, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, the channel irons can alsobe welded directly together at z'.

For mooring the ships, mooring members c are housed in the recesses ofthe piles, said members being of the usual design and anchored by meansof bolts c. Bollards ai can also bef'attached, thus'ma-ling provisionfor variations in the level of the water.

All the bolt connections can be disposed in such a manner that thedolphin is perfectly smooth on the outside, thus rendering wooden lfenders unnecessary. In the drawings, however, wooden fenders 71, areshown adjacent the dolphin.

It is important that the rigid connection between the sheet-pilingmembers a should be substantially confined to the embedded portion ofthe rammed rows, whether connection is effected by welding or by meansof locking members, so that the upper portion will have a high degree ofresiliency.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 6 and 7, the piles, each composedof two channel-irons a and welded together at the lower end, are spacedapart and rammed. They are supported, at the upper end by interposedtimbers f and held together by a bracing g and turn buckles g. In thiscase also, wooden fenders 7L are provided at the sides. The boxes mayalso be composed of sections differing in shape from those specified.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what .manner thesame 4is to be performed, l declarethat what .I l'claim is:

l. A dolphin or mooring post comprising a plurality of vertical hollowmetal piles, each pile comprising a plurality-'of intercom nectedvertical sections, the piles being rigid- 1y` interconnected only attheir lower ends and along lengths thereof corresponding to the lengthto be embedded in the ground and lbeing unconnectedlalong theirremaining portions to provide a resilient .structure above `the groundlevel forkthe purposes speCiied.

2. .A dolphin or mooring post comprising fa plurality of :metal pilesKgrouped :in .several `continguous rows, -each pile comprising a'plurality :of vertical sections, means con-nectjingthesections to:formthe rowsiof piles, and :meansfconnecting the rows of piles to formAa `substar-itially rectangular mooring ipost, said connecting meansbeing located only on the ulowerportions Kofthe piles lfrom-a lpoint ad-`jacent the ground vlevel to the lower ends of the lpiles to provide afrigid structure below the-ground level 'and a resilient 'structureabove the :groundleveL A3. A dolphin or mooring post .Comprising Ava'.plufral-ity of vertical metallic piles having Sport-.ions embedded .inthe ground `and porftions -a'bove thefground level, saidpiles beingspaced apart from each other vadistanoe substantially equal "to Hthecross :sectional area of feach pile, inserts between the piles, andmeans rigidlyiconnect'ing the embedded portions of said :pi-'les andinserts together, the remainder of -said piles :and inserts beinguncoimected for the :purpose specied.

.In 'testimony whereof I have afiifxed my signature.

.HERMANN fGBERSCHULTE.

